10 Tips to Staying Calm During a Disaster

When we think of natural disaster; hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes are the first ones to occur in our little minds which God has given us! And there are more; howling whimpering wind, flooding streets, trees fallen on roads and so on. Hurricane Sandy is the living example. And it is really hard when you are trapped in any of these situations. You cannot sit and relax! But there are few tips which will help you keep calm during a disaster.

Calm your physical senses which lead to anxiety. A high blood pressure or a racing heart beat will only add to the problem. Breathe well and deep to relax. Panicking will not help, so calm yourself and start thinking of options.

Tell yourself that it is completely normal to feel frightened. There are people who might suggest that it is normal and you need not worry, but the fact is that such statements will only add to the anxiety.

Translate your worry into action. There are people who are well prepared for any disaster well before hand. They keep all the emergency items and equipments ready for future. This should be a regular habit for every person who stays in a disaster prone area. Once you feel that you have all the alternatives which might save you, you will stop panicking and start working.

Talk to others to channelize anxiety. Talking takes away half of your worries, so talk to a friend or your neighbor or call a family member.

Never try to evacuate when the storm has already reached you. Stay at a safe place until the storm has subsided.

Use your basement as a shelter if you have one. These are regarded as the safest from disaster point of view.

Use your interior room which has no windows. Lying on floor will also help.

Cover yourself. blankets and pillows are a good option!

Calm your pets. Pets are easily frightened by storms and disasters. So distract them. This can be done by tiring them with lots of exercises.

Try solving puzzles! As simple as it sounds, but it can be a stress buster at the time of a disaster.